


Lost at Sea

by Luxa437



Series: H&As Writing Prompt Challenge [3]
Category: Original Work
Genre: POV non-human character - Freeform, mentioned death, mentioned loss of family, nothing graphic though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-30
Updated: 2019-09-30
Packaged: 2020-11-08 10:00:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20833598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luxa437/pseuds/Luxa437
Summary: My response to the following prompt:"It was dark. Not pitch black, but some greenish darkness that barely allowed shapes to form. All I could smell was the tang of seaweed, all I could hear the breaking of waves."





	Lost at Sea

It was dark. Not pitch black, but some greenish darkness that barely allowed shapes to form. All I could smell was the tang of seaweed, all I could hear the breaking of waves.  
The sea was restless, I could feel it whirling all around me, swirling up century’s worth of sediments and algae. There were few fish around, though whether that was due to the storm or the white shark that had settled in my hull, I couldn’t tell. Personally, I relished in the brash sea.  
It’s in times like these that feeling returns to my bones, however old and battered they might be. The water laps against my wood and I can almost pretend that it is footsteps I feel instead. 

The gentle scrape of the ocean against my bare bones is oh so reminiscent of things that were, things that I miss. Long travels to exotic places, jolly music, feet dancing all over my wooden floors until deep into the night and the gold, of course. Piles of shimmering coins and jewels, each piece worth more than the other.  
However, I do remember a different side of life as well, much darker and filled with bloodshed and suffering. I held out violent storms much worse than this one, suffered heavy blows in ferocious fights and saw many a men’s death, their blood forever ingrained in my very substance. 

I miss it, everything, the good and the bad. I miss the wind in my sails and the sun on my body. I miss feeling alive. Here in the depth of the ocean everything is dull. The fish, while pretty to look at, do not make for good company. Their minds are as bland as the few stories they tell.  
I guess that’s the core of it, isn’t it? There is no one to talk to anymore, no one to share memories with. Sometimes I’m convinced the loneliness is doing me more damage than the decay ever could.  
I have seen the greatest fairytales and dreams come to live but no one is there to remember them alongside me. I have sailed under many captains’ command and though each was different, I loved them all dearly. 

Back when I was freshly out of construction I had a captain who was equally as young and brash as I was. We plunged into the sea recklessly, both of our dreams filled with visions of grandeur. It wasn’t until the hurricane hit us in open waters and we nearly went down, that we understood.  
My captain with his new mind-set quickly gained the respect of the crew and together we sailed several more, great years.  
In the daytimes there were always people running around, voices filling the air with a constant chatter. It was beautiful but the times I enjoyed the most were the quiet nights. My captain would be the only one still awake, silently stirring us to the horizon. Most of the time, he would be humming.  
Sometimes a gay tune sometimes a gentle and melancholic one, as we soaked up the feeling of wind and waves.  
Every so often though, he would talk. He told me about his dreams, how he wished to discover new places and sail to every corner of the earth. He told me of his mother whom he had learned these nameless melodies from and whose tragic fate was what had him set out to the sea. 

Another who set course with me, was special in the way that they were a woman. You must understand that in times long ago it was said that misfortune would befall those who sailed under a woman’s command.  
I didn’t care, never did, all that was important to me was that my captain, whoever they were, was born with the sea rushing through their veins. I knew she was from the moment she set foot on my planks for I felt her heart as she boarded and it soared.  
There was something extraordinary about this girl. At times she was fierce and unapologetic, other times she was gentle and nurturing. She was unpredictable. It wasn’t until she slipped away in old age surrounded by her devoted crew that I realized what had captivated me about her. She was the sea in all its glory her soul, as vast as the largest oceans and her heart as unfathomable as the deepest trenches. 

It had been many decades of adventures of any kind before I found who would be my last skipper. A man, almost as old as myself, who had spent the better part of his life at sea. His bones weary with age and his Soul burdened by tragedy but his mind remained bright.  
We spent three years together, travelling. He wasn’t looking for an adventure but rather for the opportunity to enjoy life for the last time. We visited all sorts of places, docked at the most curious ports and met many different people.  
Although I had already encountered countless diverse individuals I would never grow tired of it. I loved his more subdued nature, the calm a welcome reprieve.  
He told me of his beloved daughter who had left to some unknown town with a man he didn’t approve of. I think he was looking for her and that it was the real reason he took me miles and miles around despite his degenerating health. I pitied him. A father should never lose his child. 

One day the wind brought us to a small port where we wanted to rest for a while but it should not be.  
There was another ship, not much taller than me but far more armed. It was blasting away at the village, a black flag fluttering at the mast. Pirates. They showed no mercy when they trained their cannons on us. We were hopelessly inferior and went down rapidly.  
I mourned as I slowly sank beneath the waves. I mourned not for me but for the kind-hearted man that who would not be able to go peacefully now. I hoped he would be able to watch over his daughter from wherever humans go after their death and that maybe one day they could meet again and reconcile. 

There were many who sailed with me, some under a king’s command, some for profit and even those who followed the road of piracy. I have listened to all their stories and I will forever hold on to them. As long as I remember, I know their Souls, forever bonded to me, can rest in peace. These memories that I hold are more precious to me than any gold that man will find littered around my remains.  
The water is calming down now and a few stray rays of sunshine find their find down here. They bring a slight sparkle to these murky waters. The fish are slowly coming out of their holes too, their colours seem even brighter and more vibrant in the light. Serenity washes over me, maybe there is something beautiful about the deep sea as well.


End file.
